Workers to get full salaries, ministry denies reports

Chaminda PERERA

The External Affairs Ministry vehemently rejected media reports that a group of Sri Lankan workers in Iraq who launched a fast unto death would be given only US$ 3,000 and flown back to Sri Lanka free.

A group of Sri Lankan expatriate workers started a fast unto death demanding their salaries for months after their employer went out of business.

According to Foreign Ministry Communication Division head Sarath Dissanayake, the Iraqi government has promised to pay the full salary arrears to these employees when the officials of the Sri Lankan embassy in Lebanon took up this issue with Iraqi leaders. Dissanayake said foreign media reports that the Iraqi government was planning to grant US$ 3,000 to each employee in distress and they were to be flown back to the country free as baseless. The External Affairs Ministry has not been informed of such a move, he said.

Dissanayake said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki has directly been involved in this issue and has assured the Sri Lankan government to pay fully salary arrears to these employees from a special fund. Dissanayake added the employees gave up their fast following this assurance and the group of workers would receive their salary arrears within a month.